All websites need to be "hosted" 24/7 on a "web server". This is normally a dedicated computer which is permanently connected to the Internet. Without this no one will be able to view or use your website. For such a crucial task there are thousands of companies who can provide this service. Some major factors other than cost which should influence your decision should be:

• Capability: Can the web server support the languages and databases your website needs?
• Bandwidth: What speed is the Internet line connected to the web server? Will your site be restricted to a certain amount of information transferred (or "bandwidth") per month?
• Security: Is the web server protected using a device such a "firewall" from unauthorised and malicious access?
• Support: If things go wrong what is the average speed of response. Is there an out of hours telephone support line?
• Backup: Is your entire website's contents and databases regularly and securely backed up to other media such as tape and stored at a different location?

There are two major choices for how to go about hosting your site:

Shared Hosting 

This option means that your website will placed on a web server which hosts other websites. It therefore shares the space on the web server's hard disc and the bandwidth available to that computer.

The majority of websites in the world are hosted in this matter. Its main advantage is in price as the cost of hiring this resource, usually from an Internet service provider, is spread between all the sites. In addition the hosting company should look after issues such as security and backup on your behalf.

The drawbacks are that the greater the number of sites that are hosted on a server grows so the speed of response for each one decreases. However, all things apart, this is very cost effective means of setting up a website initially.

We are one of the few dedicated website design agencies that actually runs and manages its own web server network in-house which is duplicated for security across its network offices. We host a range of sites for a variety of industries and many clients prefer the builders of their site to also look after its hosting. In addition we also work with a variety of hosting companies, both national and internal and can offer advice on the most suitable hosting package for your requirements.

Dedicated Hosting

This option would require your website to be hosted on its own "dedicated" web server equipment. This method provides the ultimate in performance and capability as you get the full bandwidth and space offered by your machine. However you are now also responsible for the full range of responsibilities associated with running a web server e.g. security, network, power-supply etc.

As a result of the extra strain of upkeep many companies now opt for a "co-located" service. With this their dedicated server is housed within the secure confines of an ISP's "data centre" and their staff then provide these essential maintenance duties.

We have set-up many dedicated servers for clients and we work with some of the best experts in the fields of IT support and Internet security. We would however always generally recommend that, except for specialist applications, clients demonstrate the business effectiveness of their website first using the shared hosting model before they invest considerably more expense into a dedicated server option.